- Title: U.S. suspends deportations of Haitians after Hurricane Matthew
- Date: 12th October 2016
- Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (OCTOBER 11, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF GOVERNMENT BUILDING U.S. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY, JEH JOHNSON, ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE WITH MEXICAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS MEDIA AT NEWS CONFERENCE JOHNSON (LEFT), MEXICAN INTERIOR MINISTER MIGUEL ANGEL OSORIO CHONG (CENTRE) AND MEXICAN FOREIGN MINISTER CLAUDIA RUIZ (RIGHT) WALKING TO LECTERNS JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION ABOUT IMMIGRATION CHALLENGES (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY, JEH JOHNSON, SAYING: "Hurricane Matthew came along last week, that has meant that flights to Haiti have been suspended as a result of the conditions there. And so we will have to deal with that situation, address it, be sympathetic to the plight of the people of Haiti as a result of the hurricane." GENERAL VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MEXICAN INTERIOR MINISTER, MIGUEL ANGEL OSORIO CHONG, SAYING: "For our part given that they (Haitian migrants) are in our territory then the necessary humanitarian conditions need to be met so they are well in our country. And the United States is receiving them, they (Haitians) are being received daily. That needs to be expedited so as to determine their migratory status."
- Embargoed: 27th October 2016 03:24
- Keywords: US Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson Mexico Haitians Haiti deportations Hurricane Matthew
- Location: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO / PASO CANOAS, COSTA RICA
- City: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO / PASO CANOAS, COSTA RICA
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00153KBWAV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The United States on Tuesday (October 11) said it has temporarily suspended deportations of Haitians after Hurricane Matthew ravaged the Caribbean nation last week, killing at least a thousand people and leaving 1.4 million in need of humanitarian assistance.
Johnson is in Mexico on an official visit, where large groups of Haitians have gathered at the Tijuana border with the United States seeking to cross north.
Many of the migrants have been claiming asylum in the United States but a significant number of applications have been rejected.
As hurricane-ravaged grapples with the aftermath of Matthew, Johnson announced the United States has suspended deportations of Haitians.
"Hurricane Matthew came along last week, that has meant that flights to Haiti have been suspended as a result of the conditions there. And so we will have to deal with that situation, address it, be sympathetic to the plight of the people of Haiti as a result of the hurricane," he said.
The policy change Johnson referred to took place last month when the United States announced that in response to a surge in Haitian immigration across the Mexican border, it would end special protections put in place after a 2010 earthquake devastated Haiti.
For Mexico's part, it has set up assistance in its northern border to help the Haitians get basic supplies.
"For our part given that they (Haitian migrants) are in our territory then the necessary humanitarian conditions need to be met so they are well in our country. And the United States is receiving them, they (Haitians) are being received daily. That needs to be expedited so as to determine their migratory status," said Mexico's Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong.
Thousands of Haitians work their way up to Mexico through Central America, seeking to cross overland in search of the American dream. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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